Depleting fossil fuel reserves are currently escalating the exploration of renewable sources of material. The development of new renewable monomer feedstocks for the fabrication of next-generation polymeric materials is thus important to the future success of the polymer industry.
Lignocellulosic biomass plays a central role in renewable resources that contribute to a self-sustaining model for future polymer material demand. A significant percentage of biomass consists of non-food sources such as grass, wood, or straw, which can be utilized for producing value-added chemicals and polymers. The core constituents of lignocelluloses are principally cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin. Hemicellulose is an amorphous, branched structure, which displays modest strength and undergoes acid hydrolysis to yield xylose. On further hydrolysis, xylose generates furfural with loss of three molecules of water, as shown in the reaction in FIG. 1A. The conversion of biomass to furfural, depicted in PRIOR ART FIG. 1B, is a known process used to access furan-based monomers and subsequently generate various bio-based polymers. However, there remains a need for additional types of polymeric materials made from furan-based monomers.